Welded assembly



Feb. 6, 1968 F. x. BROWN ET AL 3,367,414

WELDED ASSEMBLY Original Filed Nov. 25, 1960 INVENTORS Francis X.Brown and Lorin K. Poole.

BY 9W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,367,414 WELDED ASSEMBLY Francis X. Brown, Broomall, and Lorin K. Poole, Glen Mills, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application Nov. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 71,777. Divided and this application Nov. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 412,567

4 Claims. (Cl. 165-178) This application is a division of application Ser. No. 71,777 filed Nov. 25, 1960 now Patent No. 3,257,710 granted June 28, 1966.

This invention relates to the metals-joining art and has particular relationship to the fabrication of tube-plate or what is called tube-to-tube-sheet assemblies. Such assemblies include a plate having holes in which a plurality of tubes are secured. Such assemblies are used in heat exchangers and the like; the heat exchange takes place between a hot fluid in the tubes and a heat adsorbing fluid enveloping the outsides of the tubes.

A demand has arisen for a tube-plate assembly in which the leakage of the fluid from within the tubes into the heat-absorbing fluid is positively prevented. This requires that the tubes be sealed fluid-tight to the plate and that the tube-to-plate joint and the tubes themselves remain fluid-tight in the use of the assembly.

In accordance with the teachings of the prior art, tubeplate assemblies were made by direct fusion arc-welding with a non-consumable electrode of the tubes to the rims of the holes in the plate, by arc welding the rims of the holes in the plate to the adjacent ends of the tubes with a manual coated electrode, and by fusion arc welding with a non-consumable electrode of a filler ring or the equivalent to the joint between the rims of the holes and the adjacent ends of the tubes. The assemblies produced with the first of the above methods were found to have an excessive number of gas holes and cracks. The second method was found to be excessively costly; in addition difliculty was experienced in maintaining a proper bead contour and an excessive number of small leaks appeared in the joints. While the third of the above-described methods yielded useable assemblies, this method was found to lack adequate positive reliability for wide industrial use; in addition it was found that some of these assemblies were of relatively short life. Several heat exchangers with tube plate assemblies made in the practice of the third method developed leaks in the field.

It is then an object of this invention to provide fluidtight tube-plate assemblies which shall have adequate positive reliability for wide industrial use. It is a specific object of this invention to provide tube-plate assemblies made by welding the tubes to the rims of holes in the plate in which the welds shall be substantially free of leaks and cracks and which shall have a relatively long life in use.

This invention arises from the discovery that the leaks and cracks in the tube-sheet assemblies made in accordance with the teachings of the prior art arise from failure to coordinate the metallurgical and mechanical properties of the materials forming the welded joints. An important aspect of this discovery is that the use of like materials for the tubes and the plate does not achieve this coordination. To achieve the desired metallurigical and mechanical coordination changes must be made in the metallurgy of one or the other.

It has also been found that the short life which has been experienced in initially acceptable assemblies is "ice caused by corrosion of the tubes at, and adjacent to, the welds. In the making of the assemblies in accordance with the third of the above-described methods (and usually in accordance with the other two) each tube is inserted in its corresponding hole with the end of the tube extending above the rim of the hole and a weld is produced between the rims of the hole and the tube. It has been discovered that during the welding operation an inwardly extending projection is formed at the joint, in effect producing a Venturi channel. This channel causes the hot fluid which passes through the tubes to be turbulent at or near the joints and the turbulence causes the tubes to be corroded at or near the joints and to develop leaks. This corrosion is particularly severe in the case of pressurized water frequently encountered in practice which is present in the tubes at pressure of about 2000 pounds per square inch and at a temperature of about 600' F.

In accordance with this invention the mechanical and metallurigical properties of the tubes and plate are coordinated by selecting material for the portion of the plate forming the joints which while different than the material of the plate is weld compatible with the plate. The tubes or the portions of the tubes forming the joint are also of different material than the overlay forming the joint.

The expression weld compatibility as used in this application with reference to the specific aspects of this invention, refers to weld compatibility between a first material and a second material which is different than the first and means that when these materials are melted or fused while in contact and then permitted to cool there is substantial mutual solid solubility of each material in the other. Essentially the two materials should have the same melting-solidification temperature ranges within about 300 Fahrenheit degrees. The desired solid solubility is not achieved by welding like materials; one of the materials must be changed. Typically in the welding of stainless or austenitic steels, the materials must be different. To achieve crack-free joints the proper balance of ferrite to austenite must be maintained and this balance is achieved by fusing different materials which contribute the austenite and the ferrite in the proper proportions. Item I of Table I typifies another situation in which the materials are different. In this case the overlay is a low carbon, high manganese, high silicon steel with a small quantity of powerful deoxidizer while the base plate and tube are both of killed carbon steel. The manganese and silicon components and the deoxidizer suppress the formation of gaseous oxides (CO and thus prevent the developing of cracks and porosity. With reference to the broader aspects of this invention, the expression weld compatibility may refer to compatibility between like materials.

It is usually not economically feasible to select the plate and the tubes themselves of compatible but different n1aterials although such selection is within the scope of this invention in its broader aspects. In the practice of this invention in its more specific aspects the compatibility is achieved by overlaying a base plate with overlays of materials each of which are compatible with the adjacent material or materials; the material of the most remote overlay from the base plate being compatible with the material of the tube. The tube is joined to this most remote overlay. Thus a completely compatible tube-plate assembly is produced.

The following Table I presents the compositions of base plate, tubes and overlays which have been produced in the practice of this invention and have been found to yield highly satisfactory results:

TABLE I Item Type Identification Composition Plate Plate Type Iden ti Tub Composition Tube Overlay 1 ASTM A266, Al05 Killed Carbon $1001..

.. ASTM A206,Al05 do ASTM A260, A105....

ASTM A266, A105....

ASTM A210, 11179....

Cu-Ni or Monel International Nickel 00. Inconel Alloy.

Stainless Steel.

6 Silicon Bronze ASTM-BM.

Killed Carbon Steel" Steel-Mn .60 to .00 C 06, Si .75 to 1.00; small quantity of powerful dcoxializer such as Al. Ovcrlaid by submerged arc welding with a rimmed steel electrode and a flux containing alloy elements and dcoxidizers.

1st layer D-lIL-ENGI C .15; Mn 1.00; Fe 1.00; S .01; Si .75; Cu .25; Al 1.5; Ti 2- 3.5; Miscellaneous elements, .5; Remainder Ni plus small percent Co.

90 Cir-10 Ni or 80 Cu- Ni or 70 (Du- Ni or 70 Ni-SO Cu, in effect then 30 to 90 Cu, 70 to 10 Ni.

2nd layer and 3rd layer MIIrENGOC .15; Mn 1.00; Fe 2.5; S, 02; Si 1.5; Ni plu small percent cobalt, 62 to 60; Al 1.25; Ti 1.5-3; Misc. elements .5; Remainder Cu. Overlaid by consumable electrode inerbgas welding. ('Ioo deep penetration should be avoided and for this purpose electrodcisoscillntcdasdepositproceeds.)

3 layers all same. MIL-EN-GA C .10; Mn 2-2.75; Fe 10; S .015; Si .35; Cu .5; Ti 2.53.5 Cr 14-17; Misc. elements .5; Ni+CoRcmainder but not less than 67. or do lvlIL-EN 87 C 10; Mn 2.53.5; Fe 3.00;

8.015; Si .50 Cu .50; Ni 67mini1num 00.10; Cb+Ta 2.00-3.00 but To max. only .3; Ti .75; Cr 18-22 (Same process as for Cu Ni Item 2).

First layer. Overlaid by series submerged are weld between electrodes of AISI 300 and 312 stainless steel-adjacent plate. Second layer. Overlaid by series submerged are weld between BOSL stainless steel electrodes.

No overlay.

1 Tube joined to second and third layer.

2 Tube joined to second layer. The data under Overlay in Table I is the composition determined by actual analysis of a specimen of the overlay.

The assemblies listed in Table I are throughout weld compatible.

Thus in the case of item 2 there is substantial mutual solid solubility between the nickel alloy of the first layer and the carbon steel; there is also substantial mutual solid solubility between the nickel-copper (Monel) alloy of the second layer and the nickel alloy of the first layer and also both between the nickel-copper alloy of the second and third layer and the alloy of the tube.

In the case of the tWo-or three-layer overlays the first layer may be eliminated if the penetration of the overlay of the other layers could be maintained low. This requires excessive care in actual manufacture and for this reason the two-or-three-layer overlay is preferred.

Table I shows that in producing a tube-plate assembly where the tubes and plates are both of carbon steel, compatibility is achieved with an overlay of manganese-silicon steel having a powerful deoxidizer. Where the tubes are stainless steel type 304 and the base plate carbon steel, a first layer combining 309 and 312 stainless is deposited on the steel and a second layer of 308L stainless is depositcd on the first layer. The tubes are welded to the second layer. In this case the balance in the weld between the chromium and other ferrite forming elements and nickel and other austenite forming elements must be such as to suppress cracking. The joining of tubes of type 304 stainless to a plate of type 304 stainless would not yield a non-porous crack-free assembly among other reasons because the required relationship of ferrite to austenite in the joint would not be achieved.

To eliminate the turbulence smooth joints without inwardly extending projections are produced. This object is achieved by mounting each tube in its corresponding hole with its rim extending below or within the rim of the hole. The tube is initially a slip fit in the hole but the end of the tube adjacent the rim in the hole is expanded so that the tube firmly engages the boundary of the hole to which it is to be welded.

The joining in each case is effected by fusion arc welding with a non-consumable electrode in a shield of inert gas. The welding may be carried out with the apparatus disclosed in a Patent 3,064,120 granted Nov. 13, 1962, to Richard P. Ache for Welding Apparatus, and assigned to Westinghouse Electric Corporation or similar apparatus.

Assemblies covered by each item of the Table I have been made as just described and have been successfully qualified both as to Welding procedure and as to welders (welding operators). In qualifying as to procedure at least 25 welds corresponding to each item of the Table were made in a test plate. A section of this plate about to /2 below the welds is then cut. This section is X-rayed to determine if it is free of porosity. In each test all the welds of each test section were found to be unusually porosity free. This section is thendye-pentctrant tested to determine if cracks are present. No cracks were found in any of the test sections. Each section is then cut along the diameters of the lines of tubes and the thickness of the welds at their minimum thicknesses are measured at four points on each of the twenty-five welds. In all measurements the welds were at least .9 times the thickness of the tube wall. Micro sections of all twentyfive welds are viewed for flaws. Micro sections of randomly selected welds are viewed for micro cracks particularly at the roots of the welded joints. The test welds were found to be free of flaws and micro cracks. The procedure is qualified in this way for each separate gauge of tube.

Welders (welding personnel) are qualified for each separate gauge of tube. For the first qualification twentyfive welds are made in a plate and a section similar to the above of each plate is X-raycd, dye-penetrant tested, micro viewed, and subjected to thickness measurement as above. For each subsequent qualification 10 Welds are made and tested as above. About twelve welders have been qualified thus far.

Fourteen satisfactory feed water heaters with tubeplate assemblies in accordance with this invention have been made thus far in the practice of this invention. In

7 these assemblies the welds are sound and there are no inwardly extending projections which would produce turbulence of the heated water.

Additional understanding of this invention both as to its organization and as to its method of operation and 6 OPERATIONS (1) Preparation for Welding (2) Tube -Welding Procedure (3) Post Weld Inspection use and as to additional objects and advantages thereof 5 will be obtained from the following description of specific P r l 11110" f weldmg embodiments taken in connection with the accompanying 1 Prior mo welding, both mhe plate [and m ttubes are drawings in which: pmpefly Prepared 15 a VleW 111 f q of a tubePlate (2) Tubes are rolled to a plastic deformationof 2% to assembly accofdanfze this mvennon; 1O 4% by retra'otive rolling the full depth of the plate less FIG. 2 IS a view in section taken along line III-III i hth f i h A minimum amount f Water 1. of 1; uble Lube-A-Tube lubricant is used.

3 1s a View In Sectlon Showlng a and a (3) After rolling, the tube ends are cutoff below the Romon 0f the l? P p y to the Weldmg Opera plate. For deptlh see Table II. The cut off 'tool is electlon; tnical'ly driven to avoid contaminating the tube en'd. N0

FIG. 4 is a view in section showing a tube and portion .lubflgant is us'ed f (his Opel-mien of the plate and the Welding electrode as they are re- (4) Aft r ougoff m inside of the tube end we lated during a welding operation. buffed using hand wamen FIGS; f a f -P aSSBIPbIY 111 accord- (5) The plate is thoroughly cleaned of all dirt, grease, ance with this invention. This assembly includes a base Oil, and chips ft mube ends have prepared f P i eXample of carbon Steel, 011 Whlch a P welding and the plate shall then be covered with heavy y layers 33 and 35 0f an Overlay are deposltedcardboard to insure cleanliness. Thorough cleaning is Depending on the tube material the overlay may be of i l important manganese-silicon steel with a powerful deoxidizer (for 2 b l a carbon or steel tube) or a copper-nickel alloy or a e we dmg pmeedure nickel-copper alloy like Monel metal. The tubes 37 are (1) The unit is placed in the vertical position with the secured in holes in the overlay by arc welding. plate horizontal for welding.

In making the tube-plate assembly shown in FIGS. (2) No preheat is required, except that the plate teml and 2, the base plate is overlaid and then drilled. The perature shall not fall below 70 F. tubes are then inserted in the holes. With reference to (3) Immediately prior to positioning of the welding FIG. 4 the following Table II shows the tube dimentouch, the tube to be welded (is snugged against the tube sions, the hole dimensions and the spacing of the tube li ole using a tapered drift. rim 41 below the adjacent rim 43 of the hole for an as- (4) W ldi i d with hi h i a hi sembly including tubes of Monel metal and coppe frequency arc starting attachment and an arc tapering atm'ckel alloystachinent. The welding is done using D.C. straight TABLE 11 polarity.

(5) 'Interpass temperature does not exceed 150" F. as

Tube Material Tube Sm Dimglsion DimeBnsion measured by a calibrated conmact pyrometer.

O .D. Wall (in.) (in.) (6) Welding current, voltage, gas flow, and radiation time are as specified in Table II for the tube gauge (Birmingham Wire Gauge) and material being welded. 5 *17-18 BWG 0. 055-0. 005 0030-0050 :2 17-18 BWG 0. 055-0. 005 0. 630-0. 050 (7) Before each shift tw=o welds are made on a test 3 1}: 5% g: gggggggg block to determine that the equipment is functioning 15-16 BWG 0. 055-0. 005 0. 630-0. 050 45 ropel-1y, 70-30 cuNi 15-10 BWG 0.0550.065 0030-0050 (3) Post weld inspection Birmingham wire gauge. (1) M h 1d h b l t d fll 1d tertewe ing as eencornpee ewe s 1 45 i i 31 511p gg g g g g are cleaned of all scale and oxide and inspected visually a ls mfamtame etween an me es an with a 5X lens for voids, cracks, non-fusion etc. Defects the outside diameter of a tube between .620 and .6-30. v

may be repaired. Small defects may be rewel ded. In the Preferably the tube rim 41 should be square and not H d f t fin b dd d tapered to provide adequate thickness for the fusion oaseo e ecs may ea e Weld (2) After all repairs have been made the completed FIG. 4 and the associated following Table 111 show P is subjected i a W examin'afionrelationship between the electrode 49 and each tube 45 "P q method has resulted 111 y in the plate 47 and the welding parameters du in the satisfactory porosity free crack free long-life assemblies. welding operation: While preferred embodiments of this invention have been TABLE III Tube Size Gas Flow Current, Rotation Dimension Dimension Tube Material CFH, Amperes Speed "0 (in.) D (in.)

OD. (in.) Wall Argon (See/Rev.)

Monel 17-18 BWG 10 85-90 45 0. 030-. 040 0. 320 90-10 CuNi 17-18 BWG 10 85-90 45 0. 030-. 040 0. 320 -30 CuNi 17-18 BWG 10 -90 45 0. 030-. 040 0.320 Monel. 15-10 BWG 10 85-90 45 0. 030-. 040 0. 320 -10 CHNI 15-16 BWG 10 85-90 45 0. 030-. 040 0. 320 70-30 OuNi 15-16 BWG 10 85-90 45 0030-.040 0. 320

The plate is placed horizontally on a table and the ele-cdisclosed herein many modifications thereof are feasible. trode 49 is held at an angle of about 10 to the vertical This invention then is not to be restricted except insofar and at a trailing angle of about 5. as is necessitated by the spirit of the prior art.

[[n detail a typical operation is carried out as follows: 75 What is claimed:

1. A fluid-tight tube-plate assembly comprising a plate of a first material having an overlay consisting at least of a first layer of a second material and of a second layer of a third material and a plurality of tubes in holes in said plate, the rim of each of said holes being joined to the rims of the corresponding tube by a weld to the second layer of said overlay, there being substantial mutual solid solubility between said first material and said second material, between said second material and said third material, and between said third material and the material of each of said tubes, said first material being metallurgically joined throughout to said second material and said second material being metallurgically joined throughout to said third material, and said third material being metallurgically joined to said tubes.

2. A fluid-tight tube-plate assembly particularly for a heat exchanger comprising :a plate of a first material having an overlay consisting of a plurality of layers of different materials and a plurality of tubes in holes in said plate, the rim of each of said holes being joined to the rim of the corresponding tube in the layer most remote from said plate, there being substantial mutual solid solubility between the material of said layer in contact with said plate and said first material, between the material of each layer and the material of the layer or layers with which it is in contact, and betwen the material of said remote layer and the material of said last-named tube, said plate being metallurgic-ally joined throughout to said layer in contact with said plate and each said layer being metallurgically joined throughout to the adjacent layer and the layer most remote from said plate being metallurgically joined to said tubes.

3. A fluid-tight tube-plate assembly comprising .a plate of carbon steel having at least one overlay, the composition of which includes in excess of 60% nickel and cobalt, the quantity of cobalt being relatively small, said overlay being metallurgically joined to said carbon steel, and tubes in said plate, said tubes being composed of an alloy of nickel and copper having about 30% to 90% copper and 70% to 10% nickel, said tubes being joined to the plate by pressure-tight Welds to said overlay.

4. A fluid-tight tube-plate assembly in which the plate has an overlay, the plate, tubes and overlay having substantially compositions as follows:

Pl*atekilled carbon steel Tube30 to 90% Cu, 70 to 10% Ni Overlay-first layer:

C.-15 Mn-1.00 Fe1.00 S-.-01 S-i.75 Cu.25 All .5 Ti2 to 3 .5 Miscellaneous elements--.5% Ni plus small percent Curem ainder Overlaysecond and third layer:

0-. 15 Mn-l .00 Fe2.5 S.02 Si1.5 Ni plus small percent Co 62-69 All .25 Ti1.5 to 3 Miscellaneous elements.5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,537,207 1/1951 Carlson et al. 29196.1 2,562,467 7/1951 Kinne'ar 29196.1 X 2,618,846 1 1/1952 Morris et a1. 29157.4 2,785,459 3/1957 Carpenter 285286 X 2,868,513 1/1959 Orr et al 165--83 X 2,914,346 1 1/1959 Ryder 2851 89 2,928,166 3/1960 Worn et al. 29--157.5 2,962,308 11/ 1960 Hawthorne 285286 X 3,078,551 2/11963 Patriar'ca et al. 285-286 X OTHER REFERENCES 'Fra'getta et al.: The Welding of Inc-onel for Nuclear- PoWer Applications, Welding Journal, April 1959 (pp. 347355).

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner.

T. W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLUID-TIGHT TUBE-PLATE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLATE OF A FIRST MATERIAL HAVING AN OVERLAY CONSISTING AT LEAST OF A FIRST LAYER OF A SECOND MATERIAL AND OF A SECOND LAYER OF A THIRD MATERIAL AND A PLURALITY OF TUBES IN HOLES IN SAID PLATE, THE RIM OF EACH OF SAID HOLES BEING JOINED TO THE RIMS OF THE CORRESPONDING TUBE BY A WELD TO THE SECOND LAYER OF SAID OVERLAY, THERE BEING SUBSTANTIAL MUTUAL SOLID SOLUBILITY BETWEEN SAID FIRST MATERIAL AND SAID SECOND MATERIAL, BETWEEN SAID SECOND MATERIAL AND SAID THIRD MATERIAL, AND BETWEEN SAID THIRD MATERIAL AND THE MATERIAL OF EACH OF SAID TUBES, SAID FIRST MATERIAL BEING METALLURGICALLY JOINED THROUGHOUT TO SAID SECOND MATERIAL AND SAID SECOND MATERIAL BEING METALLURGICALLY JOINED THROUGHOUT TO SAID THIRD MATERIAL, AND SAID THIRD MATERIAL BEING METALLURGICALLY JOINED TO SAID TUBES. 